Health

Key Trends

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Healthy communities are built on a foundation of healthy children, youth and adults. In this section, we highlight the trends for 16 indicators, including measures of prenatal and infant health; mortality rates for causes of death including cancer, heart disease, and diabetes; and access to care through health insurance coverage and the supply of doctors. In all cases, comparisons to state statistics reflect the state excluding New York City.

The proportion of mothers receiving early prenatal care (beginning in the first trimester of pregnancy) has declined by 5 percentage points in Oneida County and 6 percentage points in Herkimer County since 2000; it was 74% in Herkimer County and 70% in Oneida County in 2013, compared to 77% at the state level. The rates of early care varied among racial and ethnic groups in the counties. About three-quarters of white mothers in Herkimer County and Oneida County reported receiving early care, while 50-80% of black and Hispanic mothers in the counties did.

The proportion of babies born with low birth weight was 7% in Herkimer County and 8% in Oneida County in 2013, compared to the state rate of 7.5%. The figure has risen slightly in Oneida and Herkimer counties since 2000. In 2013, about 2% of births in both Herkimer and Oneida counties were premature, fairly stable since 2000 and near the statewide rate.

Of all children tested for lead exposure in 2012, 0.9% in Herkimer had elevated levels, while Oneida's rate was higher at 3.4%. Both Herkimer and Oneida have experienced declines, with Herkimer reaching its lowest rate since 2000 in 2011and remaining low in 2012. Despite declining 12% since 2000, Oneida's rate has been significantly higher than the state's rate (0.7%) throughout the decade.

Teen pregnancy declined from 2000 to 2013 in Herkimer and Oneida counties and the state. In 2013, about 3% of teens in Herkimer County and 4% in Oneida Coiunty became pregnant, compared to about 3% for the state.

Admissions to substance abuse treatment centers in Herkimer and Oneida counties have steadily risen between 2007 and 2013. Oneida County admissions have increased 7%, while Herkimer County admissions have more than tripled during this time period.

Both Herkimer and Oneida counties have lower rates of uninsured residents compared to the nation: 11% in 2013, compared to 17% in the nation and 10% in the state.

Both counties were below the state level in supply of doctors, but the difference was much more significant in Herkimer County. In 2014, there were 8 doctors per 10,000 residents in Herkimer County, compared to 27 in Oneida County and 34 in the state.

Of the leading causes of death, heart disease and cancer are the biggest killers in Herkimer and Oneida counties. Mortality rates due to both are declining, but Herkimer County’s heart disease mortality rate remains above the state figure and hasn’t followed a steady path downward. Diabetes kills far fewer people, yet the death rate has fluctuated in Oneida and Herkimer counties since 2000.